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(Reuters) - Democratic U.S. lawmakers on Tuesday proposed an increase of $12 billion in the country's foreign affairs budget, hoping to prod President Joe Biden to boost funding for diplomacy after years of flat spending.

Senators Chris Murphy and Chris Van Hollen and Representatives David Cicilline and Ami Bera said the 20% spending increase would enhance the country's ability to compete with China, prevent another pandemic and fight climate change.

Like most Americans, the scope and scale of the damage caused by COVID-19 exceeded some of my deepest fears for the security of the United States. This virus doesn't know if we are Democratic or Republican, our religious preferences, or our country of origin. What it has done, however, is expose a grave national security vulnerability to biothreats. Our heightened awareness of potentially catastrophic biothreats has reshaped the national security landscape and the United States should be more prepared to prevent and respond to them in the future.

As members of Congress from different parties, we don't see eye-to-eye on President Biden's decision to withdraw troops from Afghanistan. We don't agree on timing, scope, or the rationale for leaving. But one belief we do share is that the United States should do everything in its power to support those Afghans who risked their lives serving alongside American servicemembers over the past two decades.

June 16 (Reuters) - Democratic and Republican members of the U.S. House of Representatives will introduce legislation this week seeking to boost U.S. support for Taiwan, part of an effort in Congress to take a hard line in dealings with China.

Representatives Ami Bera and Steve Chabot, the Democratic and Republican leaders of the House Foreign Affairs Committee's Asia subcommittee, will introduce the "Taiwan Peace and Stability Act," a measure "to support the diplomatic, economic and physical space" of the self-governing island.

U.S. Rep. Ami Bera, D-Elk Grove, this month announced he is seeking $19 million for Sacramento County transportation projects, including $2 million for the second phase of the Old Town Elk Grove streetscape project, in a proposed transportation bill.

Any infrastructure plan passed by Congress should address broadband access for telemedicine, Rep. Ami Bera (D-Calif) said at Axios event Thursday.

A congressman who represents Elk Grove returned to the area Tuesday afternoon for a walking tour of one of the city's priority projects: improvements to historic Old Town.

Elk Grove Congressman Ami Bera is urgently calling on the FDA to grant full approval of COVID-19 vaccines now being used under "emergency use" authorizations.